Page 641 - bible

Book of Esther 635

11 Thou art Lord of all, and there is none that help me a desolate woman, and who have no
can resist thy majesty. other helper but thee.
12 Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest 4 My danger is in my hands.
that it was not out of pride and or any desire of 5 I have heard of my father that thou, O Lord,
glory, that I refused to worship the proud Aman, didst take Israel from among all nations, and
13 (For I would willingly and readily for the our fathers from all their predecessors, to pos-
salvation of Israel have kissed even the steps of sess them as an everlasting inheritance, and thou
his feet,) hast done to them as thou hast promised.
14 But I feared lest I should transfer the hon- 6 We have sinned in thy sight, and therefore
our of my God to a man, and lest I should adore thou hast delivered us into the hands of our en-
any one except my God. emies:
15 And now, O Lord, O king, O God of Abra- 7 For we have worshipped their gods. Thou
ham, have mercy on thy people, because our en- art just, O Lord.
emies resolve to destroy us, and extinguish thy 8 And now they are not content to oppress
inheritance. us with most hard bondage, but attributing the
16 Despise not thy portion, which thou hast strength of their hands to the power of their
redeemed for thyself out of Egypt. idols.
17 Hear my supplication, and be merciful to 9 They design to change thy promises, and
thy lot and inheritance, and turn our mourning destroy thy inheritance, and shut the mouths of
into joy, that we may live and praise thy name, them that praise thee, and extinguish the glory
O Lord, and shut not the mouths of them that of thy temple and altar,
sing to thee. 10 That they may open the mouths of Gen-
18 And all Israel with like mind and supplica- tiles, and praise the strength of idols, and mag-
tion cried to the Lord, because they saw certain nify for ever a carnal king.
11 Give not, O Lord, thy sceptre to them that
death hanging over their heads.
are not, lest they laugh at our ruin: but turn
their counsel upon themselves, and destroy him
Chapter 14 that hath begun to rage against us.
12 Remember, O Lord, and shew thyself to
Queen Esther also, fearing the danger that was us in the time of our tribulation, and give me
at hand, had recourse to the Lord. boldness, O Lord, king of gods, and of all power:
2 And when she had laid away her royal ap- 13 Give me a well ordered speech in my mouth
parel, she put on garments suitable for weep- in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to
ing and mourning: instead of divers precious the hatred of our enemy, that both he himself
ointments, she covered her head with ashes and may perish, and the rest that consent to him.
dung, and she humbled her body with fasts: and 14 But deliver us by thy hand, and help me,
all the places in which before she was accustomed who have no other helper, but thee, O Lord, who
to rejoice, she filled with her torn hair. hast the knowledge of all things.
3 And she prayed to the Lord the God of Is- 15 And thou knowest that I hate the glory of
rael, saying: O my Lord, who alone art our king, the wicked, and abhor the bed of the uncircum-